North Italia Reviews

Surprised this place did not have the higher rate its deserved.Visited 3 times,never had been disappointed . Fresh locally sourced,well-thought out menu,good welcoming service,trendy open concept,welcoming outside patio. Stands out from the old "concept" places near by.Recommend to visit.

I've seen this restaurant in Fashion Valley Mall, but it always seem too busy and I'm not very patient when I'm hungry. Finally had a chance to eat there and I was extremely please with the results. BTW, the server, Michelle, was one of the best servers that I had in years!

We visited North Italia restaurant in Tucson Arizona and had a terrific time. So when we heard that they were opening a new restaurant in San Diego we were really excited. Our first visit was a homerun! Great food and great environment too. Casual and relaxed atmosphere.

Excellent restaurant, very pleasant experience, delicious food, personal attention, they were always attentive to what was offered to us and super nice and very friendly

The food here is wonderful. Our group tried pasta and pizza and all were delicious. Having just returned from Italy, that says a lot. So why only 3 stars? We were a large group with 3 young kids, 2 in high chairs. We originally asked for a 6:00 reservation but were told we had to come at 5:45. So we did and then had to wait until after 6 to be seated. When we were finally seated, the waitress immediately took our drink orders. It took another 10-15 minutes for her to come back for our food orders. And then we waited and waited and waited. An hour later the salad came. And then we waited some more. By now it was after 7, and with little kids! I complained (yes, I did) and 10 minutes later the food came. In all fairness the manager comped my meal ( what about everyone else?). But still, waiting over an hour to be served a meal is unacceptable. I will not be back.

This place was great! A real gem. I was expecting another chain restaurant experience, (especially since it was part of a mall), but it was anything but. Food was great, and servicer solid. Best bolognese I've ever had.

This restaurant was great from top to bottom. The service and food was excellent. They designed the dinning area very perfectly so you can hear music and still have nice conversation. I had the Caesar salad and chicken parmesan and it was amazing. When we arrived, they presented us with a delicious and complementary antipasto plate from the chef. That an this restaurant is highly recommended.

This place is super trendy. I recommended getting a reservation through open table. The food is above average, the short rib pasta and bolognese were exceptional. However, the two major drawbacks are 1) the service. We waited a very long time just to be seated. Not because it was busy, but because no one was there to give a crap. Also, the service at the table was slow and very inattentive. Even after we asked for a water refill, no water refill. And yet they still expected a large tip? Ha! 2) the price. The food is good, but the portions are very small, and the price is unfairly large. For two small meals (short rib and bolognese) and two glasses of wine, the bill was $75 (not including top). I can honestly say I did NOT receive $75 in value. I walked away feeling like they owed me big time. Overall good quality food, everything else below average.

Friendly and smiley Italian Bistro / restaurant, good for a shopping day. they do have wonderful pizzas.

They were very busy, so we had to wait awhile. There were just two of us. Unfortunately, somehow our name fell into a black hole . . . and after watching party after party get seated, some of whom arrived after us, we checked at the front desk, and suddenly, miraculously, a table was available! That is the reason I give them a "four" instead of a "five". We sat outside, which was very pleasant. Service was friendly. I had the Strozzaprieta and my step daughter had a pizza. Mine was absolutely delicious. I took the leftover back to the hotel and had it for breakfast - it was still good even though I didn't have a micro to heat it up!

Absolute quality service. Reasonable prices attached to excellent food. I love Italian food. The North Italia Restaurant has won in the South..... and the North on my taste buds if you ask me!!! Bravo and Bravissimo.

This restaurant has not been open very long in the Fashion Valley Mall area, although it is not IN the mall. The food is great and the service was impeccable. I like the “airiness” of the restaurant, lots of natural light, althouth the large windows face the mall’s parking lot.

Busy shopping mall location with a chaotic parking area. Food is good with many creative choices. Pizza with figs and goat cheese is fantastic! Happy hour starts at 3 for better pricing.

Ate here with some family and friends. Love the place, the ambiance, and most especially the food! From the appetizers to the mains, every bite was just to die for! Personal favorites: white truffle garlic bread, funghi pizza, short rib radiatori, strozzapreti :)

Great food. Tomato soup very good, calamari light and crispy, and the main dishes, kids ate hamburger which is good and very well portioned for kids and a butter spaghetti which was ok and had only ONE big meatball (I think 2 meatballs would be better) but the main dishes, bolognese was awesome and the branzino, wow, no words, delicious. Service was also spectacular.

Ambience and set up is excellent. Service is phenomenal and food is great. Highly recommend it. parking upfront and it is in the mall so easy to find and after eating perfect for a walk to the mall

Addicted to the Tuscan kale salad, bruschetta and menu from the Tucson location and was beyond elated to find I now have a location a mere 15 min from home. Absolutely wonderful ambience and service. Food selection was tough one so we’ll definitely be back time and again to have more. Michaela served us today and she was an absolute angel. Food was delicious! We’ll be back!

Don't be put off by the fact that this restaurant is in the Fashion Valley Mall! We went one late afternoon and found the restaurant fairly empty but, given our experience, shouldn't have been. The foord was terrific, well priced and the service was excellent. Although the name says "north," there were many southern Italian dish choices. The arancini were terrific, although not exactly the way my grandmother made them. My husband had a terrific pasta dish and the meatball sandwich was a bit unusual but very tasty. We plan to visit soon again.

Service is excelent, our server was efficient, knowledgeable of the Menu and Beverages. We follow the food sugestions she made and all of us where totally happy with our choices. Offering a great selection of Beers. I Will go back as often as I can.

The ambiance was nice: fun, lively, and the interior was open and airy, like you're outside but not in the sun or heat. The service was the best part of the experience: our server was nice and was knowledgeable about the menu. Everyone who approached our table was attentive and also really nice: you felt like everyone wanted to help, even though it wasn't their station. If only the food was as good... The best thing we had was the caesar salad: great dressing and they didn't skimp on it or on the greens. The calamari was just OK: it looked and tasted like the bag of frozen calamari from my grocery's freezer section. The pizza was not great: crust was soggy and tough, like it was made hours before and they just reheated it. And the prosciutto was tough and rubbery, and we even had them just add it at the end and not bake it with the pizza. It was edible, but we were hoping for the bar to be set a little higher. A side note: the men's room was pretty dirty, like noone had been in there to check it in a long time. There were two paper towel dispensers by the sinks, and one was completely empty. So many good places to eat at this mall and we chose North Italia just to try something new, but we walked away wishing we had gone back to one of our other standbys...

Good food, not outstanding, but not bad either. The pizzas are better than other entrees. The reason for my less than great review is the poor service. Twice. I was so hopeful that if we tried it again, it would be better. It wasn't. But we did have the same server both times. This person gave the distinct impression, both times, that she was being bothered by doing her job. Unless she was chatting with other waitstaff. That didn't really seem to bother her. It's unfair to judge a place by one person, but no one else ever seemed to notice when we were looking around because we needed water or 1 of the 2 salads we had ordered to start. And as far as I know, we never saw a manager on either visit.

Since Cheesecake Factory was 45min wait I figured let’s try this place out. I’m just so glad that i did. Food was great and service was on point. Place is fairly new and nice. I recommend this place if you’re near.

The space is nice-convivial, inviting. Food is good, not special. Service is very confusing and not particularly pleasant.

Attentive service, nice atmosphere. Had happy hour meal: local beer, bruschetta, and pizza. The bruschetta was the best. Would come back again. I think the pizza was garnished with cardamom, which was a little weird to my taste.

This place had every Italian dish you crave when you are in the US. Yes, its a bit commercial, big, a bit "chainy".... But it was super pleasant. The atmosphere was friendly, nice, just right for a night out. The service was amazing, fast and really good. We ordered the burrata tortelloni and we liked it so much we ordered a second one. Portions are not huge but just right. We did not order desserts but everything else was really good. We would definitely come back more than once.

This is our 1st visit to North Italia in San Diego. The restaurant is spacious and not too noisy. The staff are all friendly and the service is good. We enjoyed the food very much.

Came for some eats and shopping at Fashion Valley Mall and discovered a new jewel. North Italia is a great choice... great ambiance, warm outdoor seating or find a cozy seat indoor. Beth was our server - smiles the whole time, made adjustments to accommodate our vegetarian preference and had great recommendations. She was lovely, as was Jonas (the general manager) who checked in on us and helped with our order. The zucca chips are a must-have, as is the cauliflower, and the burrata small plate. Plates of grilled artichokes kept passing our table and they looked absolutely scrumptious. We'll absolutely be by to try those soon. You may want to stop by too.

We came here for dinner and sat on the patio on a perfect sunny, spring day. I loved that they didn’t lower the sun shades and we got to enjoy every last minute of the sunshine until the sun dipped into a bank of clouds. Our server, Colton S., was quite attentive and very friendly. The food and service here are superb.

This is a great restaurant we have patronized since it first opened & then ordering takeout multiple times during pandemic. We returned indoors for a family celebration. Three things caught my attention this time. 1) they made mistakes on 2 of our 2 orders but promptly fixed it; 2) we forgot to order their toasted bread with olive oil/balsamic dip (quite delicious) & were served ordinary, tasteless, too dry sourdough bread; 3) we arrived at 5pm & were expecting to catch their happy hour when wine is $6 a glass. Then the waitress said they had just changed their policy & you had to sit in the bar to get that discount. We chose to forego that offer preferring to sit where we had a nice cozy booth (which I had requested on Open Table). They should have offered the happy hour discount as a courtesy during this recent change as it’s akin to pulling the carpet out from under someone. Perhaps they were a little “off their game” that night but, in any regard, we enjoyed the good food & it’s always fun watching the cooks in the kitchen through the glass window.

My wife and I wandered over from Town & Country looking for a nice meal and relaxed atmosphere. When we arrived the host alerted us that while we could wait at the bar high tops, they wouldn’t be able to serve us there because the bar was short staffed. “No problem,” we said. 90 seconds later Krystal came by apologizing for our long wait. I know, right! From the moment we arrived the staff were incredible - particularly Krystal, who took fantastic care of us. The food was equal to the service. We split the truffle garlic bread and the bolognese. Highly recommend! We are already planning to go back before we leave at the end of the week.

We came with friends to use the gift card we had given them for the holidays. Modern decor, excellent service & delicious food. I loved the dressing in the house salad & the pasta was so good. We loved it! They just opened in November. I’d been going to Little Little Italy recently but will definitely come back here again!!!!

This is an unbelievable place. On a parking lot in a shopping mall.... but they manage to make it super cosy and the food is brilliant at affordable prices. Often fully booked (no wonder). If you are in the area go here and finish with the pistachio ice cream of the bomboloni!

Food was solid, I had the salmon which had a pesto cauliflower mix and the grilled bread was excellent and all the pizzas are really good as well. I should have gotten the pasta, that would have been a better choice I think. the salmon was Ok. I'll go back again to try other things...

I sat at the bar alone, no issues. Before coming here I walked around and checked out the cheesecake factory and true kitchen restaurants close by. The only reason I dined st North Italia was because more patrons were dining there than the other restaurants. I ordered the Chefs Board (basically a charcuterie board) and simple salad. The chefs board was tasty with a variety of flavors, textures, and spreads. The simple salad was frankly too simple for $9 but good taste. Some fresh parmesan on top would have been nice even with the other soft cheese already in it. I would come back again. Great service!

Was excited to try this new place in Fashion Valley Mall. Unfortunately, a friend and I decided to go for dinner on a Saturday night — without reservations. Big mistake. When we arrived shortly after 7, we were told it might be 45 minutes before we were seated. Since in my experience they often exaggerate the wait time, we waited — for an hour. We actually never set foot in the restaurant since we were seated outside, which was fine as there were a number of heaters in use. Now, the food. I had the roasted mushroom tortellini, which was excellent. Unlike places that give huge portions, it was a nice size. I will say that it was a little tricky to eat​ since it was served in a bowl more appropriate for soup. But I did polish it off. My friend ordered a salad with an add-on of salmon, which she pronounced perfectly cooked. All in all, a nice meal, maybe a little pricey — and if I go again, I'll definitely make a reservation!

After a long day and wanting a quiet place to meet friends attending a major Conference at nearby Hotel, we searched several Restaurants in Fashion Valley Mall but all had long waits to be seated. Not so at North Italia where our small group was pleasantly surprised. We found we could get instant seating, a perfect table, and although a huge, quality Restaurant a unique design allows diners can to enjoy conversation without annoying interference from loud conversation noise. The menu has many choices of great appetizers, salads, entrees, desserts and drinks. We definitely will return on subsequent visits to San Diego.

Corporate Slop. Fritti was very good. Ricotta Cavatelli , $27.00, was gummy and poorly prepared. Garlic Bread was a glob of day-old bread coated with cream cheese. un-edible...$17.00!!!! Italian meat balls, overcooked. $17.50. Arancini, $15.50, tasteless. Negroni, 2 glasses of wine, $52.50. Nice corporate trick is to add 50 cents to many menu prices....Like they need more money!

Located in the Fashion Valley mall on the north side. Great for afyer shopping. Recomend the Tuscan kale salad and the Bolognese..

Great ambiance. Nice open space. I like that you can see the kitchen but it’s still a separate space. It feels like it’ll be a great place to visit in the summer. I had pasta which was delicious and the tiramisu was unbelievable.

Wonderful first visit to this Italian restaurant located in Fashion Valley Mall. My friend and I both chose salads which were excellent, and then we shared two appetizers... the grilled cauliflower and an order of meatballs. Delicious!! Fun to share and such great flavors.

We were able to be seated in less than 5 minutes on a Busy Saturday night. The restaurant was full, families, couples, groups, all enjoying delicious Italian-American food. We saw others enjoying pizza, our party choose pasta dishes. The prosciuto Bruschetta was made with Fresh Mozzarella, thick and creamy, piled high with fresh tomatoes and prosciutto. Hsb enjoyed fresh scallops along with a cesar salad including a generous side portion of fresh anchovies which had been marinating in lemon juice, and I had the potato kale bacon soup (very similar to Olive Garden's and tasty) with the Squid Ink pasta. It was chock full of calamari and shrimp. Portions were generous, so we had leftovers to take home.

Stopped by for lunch. Love that they have a large outdoor patio with heaters. Inside is also very large. Tables are not crammed together so that was nice. SERVICE IS TOP NOTCH!! Had the minestrone soup which was good, classic soup. Bread was delicious! Am looking forward to giving the pastas a try.